Cellulite is a common skin disorder that appears as an irregularity of skin contour, often characterized by a dimple appearance of the skin. This condition affects 80% of women worldwide and tends to gather superficially around the thighs, hips, and buttocks.
Cellulite develops in the body when fat is deposited immediately below the dermis and contained in fat chambers (lobuli) that can become swollen. As the fat cells grow in size, lobuli tend to protrude into a dermis layer, surrounding tissue becomes compressed and hardened, making blood circulation more difficult in trapping fluids. Reduced elasticity of the adipose tissue produces an undesirable tension between the layers. The resulting protrusions and depressions of connective tissue anchor points create the appearance of cellulite.
This condition responds with varying results to invasive procedures, such as liposuction. The non-invasive technologies such as massagers, and low frequency ultrasound diathermy, show marginal results. Preliminary results shown by combination of infrared light and RF energy have some promise of improving skin contours, but significant progress is needed.